Carefully Considered Mac

Mac is a startup motorcycle manufacturer based in rural England. You might remember that the company caused a flurry of excitement a few months ago, when it released images of four café racer bikes designed by Xenophya. Production plans seemed to be in place, with the bikes built around the motor from the Buell Blast—but thanks to Harley Davidson’s management, Buell is no more. Just as it looked like the wind had gone out of Mac’s sails, a new set of images has surfaced. These renderings are from an American designer called Matthew Schneider, via his studio Carefully Considered. Schneider did them because he was disillusioned by the visual design of modern motorcycles in general: “I saw how average and obnoxious the graphics and detailing had become,” he says, “and sought to do something fresh. I hope that I get the actual chance at some point to effect change in this category.”

Schneider’s transformations incorporate laser etching, anodized finishes and screenprinting, and the colors are simple but effective. It’s worth noting that they use the now-extinct Buell motor, and Mac is currently toying with the idea of Yamaha’s more powerful XT660 thumper. (Which is a better choice on paper, but doesn’t fill the area under the tank so well.) Now, all that remains is for Mac to put its much-hyped bikes into production. In the meantime, head over to the Carefully Considered website for more images. And while you’re there, check out the kick-ass Husaberg FE 390 enduro bike project. It uses a military camouflage system called Disruptive Patterning, and it looks terrific too. [Thanks to Adam Martin and Eric Kancar for the tip.]